Sheet-feeding mechanism.



Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- S. M. LANGSTON.

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JULY 25. 1914.

Patented Oct. 9,1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

my invention, and illustrat SAMUEL M. LANGSTON, or wnivoiveir, new Jnnsn'y, essreivos'ro SAMUEL M. LANGSTON COMPANY, or CAMDEN, new JERSEY, A CORPORATION or new 7 JnRsEY.

To all/whom, it'may concern Be .it known that I, SAMUEL M. LANGS- TON,'a citizen of the United States, and a resident of lVenonah, in the qcounty of Gloucester and State of NewJersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvej ments .in Sheet-Feeding Mechanism, of which the following is a specification;

This invention .relates to certain improvements. in mechanism for feeding'successive sheets from a column or stack to a machine or apparatus, which receives and operates upon the sheet, and relates more particularly to thattype which delivers the sheets from the top of the stack or column, and'at the same time raises the stack so that the top of the stack will always be at approximately the same elevation;

In its preferred embodiment it is designed for the feeding of comparatively stifl sheets of light material such for instanceas paper board, cellular board, for the like, althoughin certain of its embodiments, it is applicable to the feeding of thin wooden boards, .or thin sheets of paper, metal, or other material. The feeding mechanism may be employed in connection with any kind of an apparatus desired such as a printing press, an embossing press, or a cutting or scoring ;ma'ohine.i

One of the main features of my invention involves the mechanism which advances a sheet from the top of-"a column solely by engaging with the rear. edge of the top sheet. Other features involvethe elevating mechanism and the means for operating the feeding and elevatingmechanism in proper time and at the proper relative speeds. The invention involves various other features of importance, all of'which will be more particularly described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating merely one embodiment of my invention and in which similar reference charactersindicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a feedlng mechanism constructed in accordance with ed as applied to a printing press.

Fig. 2 is an end anism.

Fig. 8 is aside elevation, similar to a por view of the feeding mech- SHEET- FEEDING MECHANISM.

Specification of LettersPatent. Patahtedfi Oct. 9,1917. Application filed. July 25, 1914. .iSerial No. 353,012., i

tion of, Fig; 1, but-on asomewhat large scale.

' .Fig., 4 is a top planview of'thefeeding mechanism a portion: belng broken away,

Fig. 5 is,a detailed viewof the'sheet' feed-- ing member. i As previously my invention in connection'witha printing pressfiof a type designed for printin on relatively stiff paper board or cell ular ed; 1 have illustrated board. -Suchfa press, if. desired, may be constructed substantially asshown in [my prior -Patent.1,086,722, granted February I 1Oth, 19 1 4. I have not here illustrated'the details of the press as such details form no portionof my present invention and my, HHPIQVGCl feeding mechanism may be used,

in connection with various other-forms of presses or other machines. i y

The specific embodiment of my invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings includes two frame members 10, 1O which may be secured rigidly inrrespect tofthe frame of the main machine ormay be cast integral as a part of the latter. The frame members 10, 1 0, adjacenttheir outer ends may be supported. by or secured to posts or standards 11, 11, extending a considerable distance above the planein Whichitisdesired to .feed sheets to the main machinethe purpose ofwhich upper extensions will be set forth more fully hereinafter. For supporting the stack or column of sheets to be platform which may if ,desiredbe the platform or body of a truckupon which the sheets are transported to the machine. Adjacent to the outer ends'ofthe frame members 10, 10,1imount two small pulleys. 12, 12, and adjacent to the inner endsof the frame members are-two additional pulleys 13, 13. Supported preferably by the main frame of themachi-ne is a shaft 14 having fed I'may provide any suitable form of i two winding drums 15, 1'5 thereon and from eachdrum extends two cables, wires, ropes,

. chains or other flexible members 16 and 17 hereinafter referred to as cables. The cablesv i 16 extend over the pulleys 13 and 12, while the cables 17 merely extend-over the pulleys 13. Thus the free endsof the four pulleys are at approximately the four corners of I a rectangle and may be secured to the four corners of the column supporting platform.

As shown, the cables 17 are .connected to a.

transversely extending bar in the form of an I-beam 18, while the cables 16 are provided with rings 19 adapted to receive the ends of a transversely extending bar 20. These two bars 18 and 20 may detachably engage beneath the opposite ends of the column supporting platform. By rotating the drum it will be noted that the four cables may be unwound or wound up simultaneously, and the column lowered or raised while maintaining the sheets substantially horizontal.

The specific means which I preferably employ for raising or lowering the column may be operated either by hand or automatif cally during the operation of the machine. This means may include a shaft 21'm0unted adjacent to the outer end of one of the frame members 10, and continuously ro-- tated from the main machine in any suitable manner as for instance, by. a drive chain 22 extending over a sprocket wheel on the shaft 21 and over a second sprocket wheel of the same size on one of the main shafts of the machine. The power is transmitted from the shaft 21 to the shaft 14 of the winding drums at such a rate as to insure the automatic and intermittent raising of the column to maintain the top in substantially the same plane irrespective of the thickness of the sheets going to make up the column.

The shaft 14 is illustrated as being provided with a beveled pinion 24 meshing with a beveled pinion 25 on a counter shaft 26 extending lengthwise of the machine. This counter shaft has a worm wheel 27 engaging with a worm 28 on a second counter shaft 29. This last mentioned counter shaft carries a ratchet wheel 30, a hand wheel 31, a loosely mounted lever arm 32, carrying a pawl 33 engaging with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. The shaft 21 carries a part presenting an eccentricsurf-ace for reciprocating the crank rod. As shown, this part is in the form of a crank pin projecting from a crank arm 34connected to the shaft. The crank rod engages with the lever arm 32 whereby as the shaft 21 rotates, the rod 35 is moved back and forth substantially longitudinally and causes the lever arm 32 to swing back and forth. The teeth of the ratchet wheel are so designed, that during the movement of the arm 32 in one direction, the ratchet wheel is caused to rotate while during a movement in the reverse direction, the ratchet wheel may remain at rest and the pawl slip over the teeth. A separate pawl may be provided for preventing the return rotation of the ratchet wheel, although due to the fact that a return rotation is effectively prevented by the worm and worm wheel such a separate pawl is not ordinarily necessary.

. .In operating the machine, I give the crank 34 such a throw and the ratchet wheel such a diameter that one rotation of the crank shaft 21 and the resulting partial rotation of the ratchet wheel will effect a winding of the cables on the drum an amount sufficient to raise the column the thickness of one sheet. To permit the handling of sheets of different thicknesses, I provide means for accurately adjusting the machine to vary the relative speeds of rotation of the winding drum and the shaft 21. This I preferably do by varying the throw of the crank 34. As shown-the crank is provided with a groove 37 in its outer face and within this groove is slidably mounted a block 39 carrying a crank pin to which the crank rod 35 is pivotally connected. A screw 40 is held against longitudinal movement in an end flange 41 on the crank and is threaded through the block 39 so that by rotating the screw, the block 39 with the crank p111, axis of the shaft 21. With the block in one limiting position, that is with the crank pin in alinement with the axis of the crank shaft, there will be no crank throw and no endwise movement of the crank rod 35; The

farther the block 39 is moved away from crank shaft, the greater will be the crank throw and the greater will be the angular advancement of the ratchet wheel and drum for each rotation of the crank shaft. It is evident that other adjusting means might be employed for varying the crank throw in place of the specific one shown.

For feeding the sheets from the top of the column I provide one or more arms 43 suspended from a shaft 44 connecting the upper ends of the posts 1 1, 11. The'lower ends of these arms 43 terminate above the column of sheets and each has secured to its lower end, a second arm 45 extending substantially horizontally toward and beyond the rear edge of the sheets of the column. Secured to each arm 45 is a sheet removing member 46 preferably in the form of a hook pivotally secured to a collar 47 ad-' justable lengthwise of the arm 45. The hooks are mounted to swing; in vertical planes so that their free ends may rest directly upon the top of the column. Each hook has a shoulder 48 to catch the edge of the top sheet and adjusting means for vary,- ing the eflective width of the shoulder in accordance with the thickness of the sheets to be removed from the column. For instance a thin spring plate 49 may be secured to the lower side of the hook with its free edge adjacent the shoulder 48; A screw 50 may extend down through the body of the hook and engage with the spring to force its free end toward the edge'of the shoulder and thus reduce the effective width of the shoulder so that it will engage with. the edge of only the top sheet of the column and feeda single sheet at a'time.

The collars '47 may be secured to the arms by setscrews- 51 or in any other suitable manner so that they may beadjusted lengthw se, andbrought to the proper position to just pass beyond the rear edge of the top sheet when the arms 43 are swung rear wardly. 71f the arms43' be sufiiciently long and the length of the feeding movementbe comparatively short, the arms 45 maybe rigid with the arms 43. 7

Various different means maybe provided for swinging the arms 43, but preferably a shaft 55 is mounted in suitablebearings at the upper ends of the posts 11, 11 and "1s" two arms 43 will be swung toward the body of the main machine and then released and permitted to swing back by gravity. Return movement might be secured by a spring if desired or a cam might be employed which would efiect positive movement in both d1- rections. Two separate cams may be employed one for each arm 43, and the arms 58 may be made integral or rigid with the arms 43 or a single arm 58 might be employed to rotate and shaft 44 and the arms 43 might be rigidly secured to the latter. These are merely questions of machlne design, and the desired results may be accomplished by various different mechanlsms. Preferably the arms 43 are ad ustable toward and from each other to facilitate the feeding of sheets of various widths.

In the operation of the machine, power is transmitted from the main machine to the crank shaft 21 the latter preferably being given one complete revolution for each complete operation of the machine on one sheet. In a printing press, the crank shaft 21 would be rotated once for each rotation of the main impression cylinder. Each rotation of the crank-shaft 21 effects a forward and back movement of the sheet feeding hooks or members 46, and also effects one comparatively small winding movement of the drums, thus the feeding mechanism will advance successive sheets from the top of the column to the printing press, one sheet being advanced for each rotation of the impression roller and for each sheet removed from the top of the column, the column itself will be raised a distance equal to the thickness of the sheet. Preferably the feeding movement of" the members 46 is at substantially the same rate or at a slightly slower rate than the feed rollers of the main machine. In starting the machine the column may be readily raised by hand by turning the hand wheel 3 which is manned; on theshaft 29; This wheelT-comparativelyrapidly to raise, the column to the desired position.

hand wheel may be provided'j'with'acrank handleland duetothe interposition, of the worm gearing one man may easily turn this f p When it 'desired'tolower the column or the'empty platform thepawl 33 may "be swung over to inoperative position and the hand {wheel readily'turned in the opposite direction lwith'out transmitting motion ,to' the sheet "advancing mechanism or the "main 1 working parts of the machine.

It will be noted that the frame members 10,10, are notonly' spaced apart but that" there are no shafts or other connecting members between the two except on the body of the machine and at the upper ends of the posts 11, 11. This permits trucks carrying stacks of sheets to bewheeled directly be- 7 tween the two frame members and into the proper position to facilitate the securing of the cables to the platform or other support for the column.

I wish it particularly understood that the specific machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinbefore described constitutes only one embodiment of my invention and that various changes in details and the relative arrangement of the parts may be made within the spirit of my invention and without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters-Patent, is;

1. Sheet feeding mechanism including a support for a column of sheets, a substantially vertical arm above said column, a sec ond arm secured to the lower end of saidfirst arm, a collar adjustable along the length thereof, a hook pivoted to said collar and adapted to engage with the edge of the top sheet on said column and means for swinging said first arm'to cause said hook to engage with and laterally displace the top sheet. 7

2. Sheet feeding mechanism including a support for a column of sheets, a substantially vertical arm above said column, a second arm secured to the lower end of said first mentioned arm and normally disposed substantially parallel to and directly above said column of sheets, a collar adjustable along the length of said second mentioned arm, a hook pivoted to said collar and adapted to engage with the edge of the top sheet of said column, and means for swing- 1ng said first aim to cause said hook to engage with and laterally displace said top sheet.

3. Sheet feeding mechanism, including a support for a column of sheets, a rod normally disposed substantially parallel to and directly above said column of sheets, means for reciprocating said rod, a collar adjustable along the length of said rod, and a hook v Copies of this patent may be obtained for said. rod, and a hook pivoted to said collar and adapted to engage with the top sheet of 15 the column to laterally displace said top sheet upon the swinging movementofsaid l 7 arm in one direction.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 18th 2 day of July A, D. 1914.

SAMUEL M. LANGSTON. i WVitnesses:

C. W. FAIRBANK,

FLORENCE LEVI 4 five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 10,6. 

